The Timeless Prince

55

"Virg-..." Almost instantly Virgil grabbed the man's arm teleporting them both back to the main house making Roman tense up in concern. "Virgil?" He watched as the darker prince made his way to his closet. "Virgil, talk to me. What's going on?"

"In here." Virgil mumbled as he opened the door and stepped aside to let the other in. Roman frowned as he slowly walked in only to freeze, eyes wide over the size of the room... and all the artifacts that filled it. His eyes instantly went to their wedding painting and he couldn't stop himself from tearing up. He was blacked out of the picture, and as much as that pained him to see it was Virgil in his tux that made him cry.

"You look so beautiful." Roman lulled softly as Virgil's eyes narrowed. "That tux just... It fit you." Virgil took a deep breath as he slowly walked closer to the other, who was now just trying to take everything in. "There's so much here. You weren't kidding about having artifacts." Roman joked as his fingers brushed this small glass box noticing his wedding ring sitting all by itself. His... but not Virgil's. His eyes narrowed in concern as he looked back to see Virgil eyeing him down.

"Why'd you bring me here?"

"We needed to talk." Roman nodded as he walked around spotting his sword and laughing. He picked it up with his left hand and Virgil tensed instantly. "Why the left?"

"What?" Roman held the sword up and twirled it around a bit before sighing and just holding it up. 

"Why'd you pick it up with the left hand?" Roman froze as Virgil's eyes narrowed. "You're right-handed."

"I uh... Well... Um..." Roman frowned as he gently set the sword back down and laughed. "Look at me not knowing how to hold a sword."

"Except you held it well... expertly in fact. I was just wondering why your first instinct was to pick it up with your left when any beginner or untrained person would have used their dominant." Roman tensed as Virgil just stared at him with this tired glare he's had since the hotel room. "Don't have an answer... are is it part of the 'proof' you just can't seem to fucking tell me." Roman flinched as he took a hesitant step back.

"Virgil, you gave me a week." Virgil frowned as Roman clearly tensed. 

"You're week is now up." Roman's eyes went wide as Virgil took a step forward and held the sword out making it fly out of Roman's hand and into his. "Start talking."

"I... I don't know how."

"Oh, that's rich." Virgil growled as his white eyes started to glow. He started to hover clearly showing just how upset he was which only made Roman all the more afraid. "Tell me, Roman."

"I... Virgil. I want to..."

"SO SAY IT!" Virgil yelled out sending this blast of energy to made Roman flinch. "Don't make me ask again."

"Virgil, I... Please? Please, I don't know how to say it." Virgil dropped back to the ground as he huffed and gripped the sword tightly. Roman was in tears. "I don't know how. I asked you for a week. Virgil, It hasn't even been a day yet. And after everything that happened today..."

"Don't you DARE!" Virgil yelled out as he held the sword up threateningly. "Don't you even think about using that shit as an excuse to keep the truth from me. Yes... We got mugged. Yes, I got shot... I can't die, Roman. I've been alive for over 2,000 FUCKING YEARS! I NEVER DIED!" Roman paled as Virgil stood there seething. Everything that's in here... It's mine. I'm over 2,000 years old, Roman. I've lived nearly 100 times your life. I am the timeless prince."

"The cryptid was true." Virgil scoffed angrily as Roman just stood there crying. "Virgil..." The painting behind them started to shake making Roman's eyes fill with horror. "Love? What are you doing."

"Me? I'm not doing anything." The painting crashed to the ground making Roman tense with worry. "But you know what... I think I'm done looking at that shit." Roman's eyes shot over to Virgil with this broken look as the darker prince just gestured to the sword.

"Virgil, no."

"Why not?" Virgil turned around facing the painting as he narrowed his eyes. "It's just a painting. It's already damaged and... the man in it that can't even be seen anymore... he's dead so.. why does it matter if i just get rid of it."

"Virgil, no!" Roman called out a bit more forcefully as his blood started to boil. His anger and fear fighting against him as he watched Virgil slowly get closer to it. "Please?!"

"It's nothing special."

"It is to me!" Virgil's eyes narrowed even more as he shot a look over to see Roman breaking at the seams. "I mean... It's you... in the painting. Don't destroy it. Please, Virgil. Don't..."

"It's just a painting." Virgil squared his shoulders as he held the sword up like a baseball bat. He was done playing these games. 

"NO! Virgil stop!" Virgil's eyes flashed brightly as he pulled back ignoring Roman's cries until. "THAT'S FROM OUR WEDDING!" Roman grabbed his arm forcing him to stop his swing with glowing eyes as tears spilled endlessly. Virgil frowned as Roman choked slightly. "Please, don't. The painting... It's from our wedding." Virgil's arm relaxed as Roman tried to calm his frantic breathing. "I know it's damaged. I know I'm blacked out of it but... This painting was the one we got done at OUR wedding. It's the first painting we ever got done as husbands. I don't care if I'm no longer even in it. It means the world to me. Please... Don't destroy it."

"Remy was right." Roman's eyes snapped up as Virgil dropped the sword and broke. "It is you... and you do remember."

"We all remember." Virgil let out a broken laugh as he spun around and put some distance between them. Roman sighed as he carefully put the painting back up on the wall before turning back to see his love crying. "I'm sorry."

"You mean to tell me... this whole fucking time..."

"No." Virgil froze as Roman shook his head and quickly walked over to pull him into his arms. Virgil didn't even try to fight him. "Not the whole time. Virgil... I didn't get my memories back until the zoo. When we touched for the first time and bonded... Everything just snapped into place. All the nightmares I've had... my tattoo and... It just made sense finally."

"So you've known since the zoo?" Roman nodded as he swayed slightly and hugged him close trying really hard not to break himself. 

"It's why I had to talk with Patton. He... He's known the longest. And then... Remus remembered everything after the museum event. Virgil, I am so sorry. I've wanted to tell you. I tried telling you. At wonderworks... I tried. I just couldn't get the words out. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Roman... You... I don't... I can't..." Virgil physically broke down completely clinging to Roman like a lifeline as the other tensed and desperately tried to hold him. "You died. Roman Hasting died. You died. You... You died."

"I know." Virgil's sobs never ended. Not even when Roman picked him up and carefully brought him over to his large bed and laid him down in it. Virgil refused to let him go. Ok quod suus 'iens futurus, amica mea."

"Tu reliquisti me. Tu reliquisti me omnia. Solus eram. Omnes solum pro 2,000 annis." Roman frowned as he layed down beside the clearly shattered prince and just stayed there holding him tightly in his arms. "Roman... Ro, et mortuus est non reliquit me solum."

"I know. I know and I am so sorry. But... I kept my promise." Virgil shivered horribly as Roman just cuddled in close hoping his embrace would help ease Virgil's pain. He could literally feel that stab in his heart and it hurt so much knowing Virgil was in so much pain. "Sure, it took a long time, and I'm so sorry you had to wait so long but... I kept my promise. I'm back. I'm here, Angelus meus tenebris. I've proven that even if I die... I will NEVER leave you. Not forever... I will always come back."

"It... It really is you, then? My Roman..." Roman smiled softly as he pressed a gentle kiss to Virgil's forehead melting in the buzz of their touch. "You're really here. It's really you?"

"Yes, My love. I'm really here. It's really me."